The French have recently added two models to the world's fleet of multi-purpose vehicles, or mummy-purpose vehicles as I've nicknamed them, and I drove them virtually back to back.
A couple of weeks ago I put a Scenic Navigator into shopping-trolley mode and now that I've lived a few days with Citroën's diesel Picasso I'm seeing the value these cars add to the larger family.
One label you simply can't stick on a Picasso is plain - it's about as far from boring as David Coulthard is from winning a GP. In fact it should have been badged Skywalker or something similar to represent its "Beam me up, Scotty" design and features.
Let's start inside: if you've a driven a Citroën recently you'll have seen the steering wheel with the fixed hub. It's a bit of a mindshift, really; you turn the wheel and expect the boss to turn with it. But it doesn't, which is a bit disconcerting at first.
There are more than a dozen controls on the hub (sound, cruise, trip data, you name it) so while the outer wheel is turning the hub becomes a little control panel - you still with me, captain?
The instruments are all digital, with their readouts on a rectangular screen in the centre of the fascia. Not great as you have to look too far away from the road to read it.
Very starship-like, however, with electronic lines and circles on the display like I last saw in my technical drawing class at college.
The aircon controls are different in that the main onev (fan speed, temperature, direction) sits to the right of the driver (near an air vent) in a big square cluster with LCD, while the passenger gets his own above his left leg with just the basic controls.
There's no traditional parking brake; the Picasso's works automatically when you stop and releases as you pull away. There is a button on the centre fascia that allows you to do this manually but, besides being unnecessary, it's quite a reach from the driver's seat.
Windows and mirrors are electric (there's even a small, flexible mirror to keep an eye on the baby seat in the back), a flap hides the radio when it's not in use (must be lots of crime in France, too) and Citroën has provided a cigarette-sized air freshener (have no idea how to fill it though).
The seats have manual adjustment (a disappointment at this level of spec) and there's no satellite navigation.
Ginormous windows
But it's all about space: Citroën has adopted what it calls Visiospace (as in visibility meets interior space) for the Picasso. What it all means is ginormous windows all round; Citroën says the Picasso has the largest glazed area in its class (not hard to believe), including a seriously wide-angled 2m² windscreen and XL windows in the back.
That windscreen is huge, significantly taller and wider than anything you're used to, and has sun visors that slide towards and away from the roof as well as open and close - and I still battled at times to stay cool. It may be more enjoyable in winter.
But the big windscreen is only one part of the Visiospace concept; each A pillar is split to accommodate a glass triangle, the roof seems higher than normal and the cabin layout is airy and spacious.
Rear passengers have no reason to complain: window blinds, aircon vents and three individual seats that can tilt and/or slide. And you'll know if your passengers aren't wearing seatbelts thanks to audible and visible indicators.
Folding rear seats, which increase luggage capacity from 500 litres to 1734 and the Picasso comes with something called a Modubox, basically a removable trolley that lives in the boot and can carry 22kg.
The 80kW/240Nm turbodiesel isn't the biggest horse in the stable but does what it's supposed to. I found some turbo lag low down but, once you get used to keeping the revs up through the gears, the Picasso cruises nicely. There's supposed to be an extra 20Nm more under kickdown; never noticed it though.
Steering feedback, minimal; body roll, yes; understeer under pressure - what do you think?
But it gets the job done on creditably little fuel; the fascia-mounted gearshifter is comfortable to use and safety is solid thanks to seven crash bags, stability and traction control and everything else you'd expect from a car with a five-star Euro Ncap rating.
And, beside the space and practicality, the Picasso looks good with large quarter-lights, big air intakes in the front bumper, big chevrons on the grille and foglights and 16" alloys don't hurt.
VERDICT
The second-generation Picasso stands out; it has design flair yet is practical in all aspects. A tad pricey at R249 995, especially when the 92kW/170Nm petrol version is R30 000 less, but worth looking at before making that mummy-purpose vehicle decision.